Abstract

We have field tested a profit calculator for Sri Lankan farmers as a part of our investigation to develop mobilebased tools for empowerment. Lack of access to information to support livelihood activities is creating economic hardships for the farmers. Though the majority of the farmers use mobile phones there aren’t many useful mobile applications for them. In the field test we captured farmers’ experiences of using the profit calculator and a revised set of requirements. When reflecting on these observations we realised that instead of developing ICT applications just to provide information or perform tasks, we need to develop applications based on user goal-oriented empowerment processes. Based on this insight, we reviewed our original design of the profit calculator and designed a new Cultivation Planning Application.